It’s been 30 years since a Texas Democrat has won a statewide position and the 2023 freshman Congresswoman hopes to change that during the 2026 midterm election.

From Texas House District 100 to representing the Lone Star State in Congress’ upper chamber, Rep. Jasmine Crockett announced her candidacy for the United States Senate on the same day as the state’s deadline for primary candidates to qualify.

The second-term congresswoman is interested in expanding her national voice representing more than 750,000 residents in the 30th Congressional District to give 17 million registered Texan voters the opportunity to elect her to the United States Senate. This comes after the Supreme Court approved Texas’ newly drawn congressional district map ahead of the 2026 midterm election, causing a major shift to her Dallas-area district.

Moments before Crockett’s announcement, former Dallas Congressman Colin Allred dropped out of the U.S. Senate race to pivot towards a bid for Texas’ newly drawn 33rd Congressional District. In an interview with CBC News, Allred said his decision to drop out was due to his concern of avoiding a divided party heading into November.

Although no Texas Democrat has won a statewide position in 30 years, a seat in the Senate would shift Crockett’s responsibilities from district-level issues to shaping how national policies are determined, confirming presidential appointees and serving as judge and jury during impeachment trials.

The March 3 primary election gives Crockett a little over two months to campaign across the state to secure her path to the November general election becoming Texas’ first Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate.

Last week, a statewide survey conducted by Texas Southern University’s Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center, showed 51 percent of likely Democratic voters in support of Crockett ahead of the March primary election.

She is running against Texas state Rep. James Talarico who has had a three month head start, launching his campaign earlier in September. Black women and men are among Crockett’s strongest supporters, at 92 and 84 percent respectively, while White and Latino men lean closer towards Talarico at 62 and 61 percent.

Crockett has served in the U.S. House since 2023 and was recently named by House Speaker Mike Johnson as the ‘face of the Democratic Party,’ sharing the so-called title with recently elected New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Known for her viral moments during her first term in Congress, she has gained national visibility for challenging decisions and remarks made by her Republican legislative peers. She has also been a constant target of President Donald Trump.

On Monday, December 8, just before her in-person event, she posted a 45-second video with audio compilation of the President describing her intellectual and leadership capabilities.

The University of Houston Law Center alumna hosted her in-person campaign launch in a room full of supporters in her district to share why her abrupt jump to the Senate was the best decision for her. “I could have played it safe and continued serving in the United States House of Representatives for as long as my constituents would have me,” said Crockett. “But I don’t choose to do that because Texas, this moment we’re in now, is life or death. It’s all or nothing. It’s now or never.”

Currently only five Black women have been elected to the Senate, including one appointed member, none representing Texas. Crockett hopes to join this rank. Today, for the first time in history two Black women are serving concurrently in the chamber. A 2025 Black Women in American Politics report, comments on the breakthrough 2024 victory, “It’s the result of investments made, barriers challenged, and generations of Black women who refused to be sidelined.”

Crockett sat down for her first national TV interview on CNN as a candidate for the Senate seat, making her point that she does not need to convert Trump supporters in her favor. Her campaign is set to engage people “who have historically not been talked to,” said Crockett. “There are so many people who get ignored, specifically in the state of Texas.

In 2022, only 45 percent of Texas’ registered voters cast ballots in the midterm election. That leaves 9.6 million voters who stayed home, confirmed by the Texas Tribune.

Texas residents begin voting as early as January as the application to vote-by-mail opens January 1, 2026. In-person early voting for the primary is February 17.